Biography
Abel Tasman is an outstanding Dutch seaflomer XVII century. He was the first to reached the shores of New Zealand, and also helped to prove that Australia is an independent continent.
Despite the fame of the geographical discoveries of Tasman, about the early biography of a man's facts. It is known that the future traveler was born in 1603 in the Netherlands village of Lutgaret. Based on the fact that the full name of Tasmana - Abel Janzzon, it can be concluded that the father was called the Yans.
Apparently, a man had a simple origin. This is indirectly indicated by the first documentary entry about Tasman, in 1632 the marriage record with a illiterate girl from the poor family.
Travel and expeditions
Certificates Abel's service in the sea for the first time found in 1634 - it is mentioned in the documents of the Dutch East India company as a skipper. In the following years, the sailor visits the Malay Archipelago, where hydrograph performs the work of the hydrograph, and also serves in the area of the Molukki Islands. Obviously, a man worked well - in 1638, Tasman was appointed the "Angel" ship by the captain of the ship, at which the seurior was journey to India.
In 1639, a man together with Mattis Kvasta went to search for two allegedly existing islands near Japan. Rico de Oro and Rico de Board, about which only legends and rumors were told, should have been abundant with gold and silver. Tasman managed the chief "Groft". The side goal of the expedition, equipped with the Governor-General of the Dutch Ost-India Anton Wang Diememan, has become a exchange trading with natives.
The expedition was not set: coming to the Philippines, the sailors managed to clarify the map of the islands, but soon the epidemic was played on the ships, and the captains decided to deploy the court to the house. By the time of arrival, only 7 people remained from the entire team of Tasman. The desired islands, of course, no one found. Nevertheless, the nautical talents of Abel were assessed, and at the beginning of the 1640s, the governor has repeatedly sent a sailor to Asia countries.
By 1642, Tasman was considered one of the best captains of the Dutch East India, which is why the man has appointed the head of the expedition to study the southern Indian Ocean. The task was to search for ways that will avoid collisions with the Portuguese Fleet, after which the sailors should have moved to the east to lay a convenient route to Chile.
Courts, dedicated expeditions of Tasmann were, according to his testimony, in a bad state. The ships were 2 - the flagship "Hemsmerk" and three-volume "zeehan". The number of the team was 110 people. Despite the scarcity of the resources of the expedition, already at the beginning of the seafarers route was waiting for geographical discoveries: to the southeast of Mauritius Abel found a new land - part of the island, which will later be called Tasmania. But at that moment the researcher is the narer of its Land Wang Dimeme.
Later, the sailors found another unknown shore. In fact, this was an unknown New Zealand at that time, but Tasman adhered to the opinion that this was an open state of states.
Having stuck in the bay, Abel gave the team to replenish the stocks of fresh water. On the shore of the sailors were waiting for representatives of the people of Maori, who at first did not show aggression. However, it did not prevent them from the next day to attack in the coast of Inomes. Three members of the crew were killed in battle, the rest miraculously were able to escape. Today, this place is called Golden Bay, but Tasman himself called him "Covers of the Killers."
To Chile, due to resource deficiency, Abel did not go, and in June 1643, the expedition ships returned home to Batavia. The crew of the vessel was awarded, but the company's authorities were displeased: the journey did not fulfill all the tasks and also did not bring profits. Wang Diemen, however, was convinced of the need to study New Guinea and Van-Dima's open land - a man believed that these places were rich in resources. The expedition was again collected, again at the head they put Abel Tasman.
Stories about this journey know a little. The main documents today are considered a letter to the Governor General of the East Indian company and the cards that Tasman amounted to. Torres Strait at that time was still unknown to the Dutch, so Abel found the found land in one whole. Only a century later learned about New Zealand in Europe after researching the English traveler James Cook.
But thanks to this, Tasman's journey was drawn by 3.5 thousand km of the northern coast of Australia (at that time - New Holland). This became the most important contribution of the sailor geography, in fact he proved that the detected land is the mainland.
Court arrived to the shores of Batavia at the end of the summer of 1644, again without bringing the company to the lowest financial benefit. Nevertheless, the reputation of Abel Tasman as a navigator and the captain remained consistently high. The following year, a man was assigned Chin Commander, and also made a member of the Batavia Justice Council.
Having a high post, Tasman could well refuse restless marine life and devote himself to analyzing ship magazines. But the man was not ready to quit the sea. During the 1640s, Abel has repeatedly walked in a swim, traveled to the Malay Archipelago, Siam and the Philippines. A man came out in resignation only in 1653, 6 years before death.
Personal life
Like most of the fact that Tasmann's travels did not concern, the details of the personal life of Abel are hidden by the mrak of centuries. According to the site of www.genealogieonline.nl, a man was twice with marriage. The first wife was called Clasgie Heyndriks, the second - Jannetje Tjaers. The first spouse died to 1632, leaving the daughter called Claesjen, the second marriage turned out to be childless. The daughter lived for a long time along with Tasman in Jakarta, and after marriage left home in the Netherlands.
Despite the small amount of information about Abel Tasman, there is a place in it and interesting facts. For example, one of the reasons for the expedition of 1642 is considered to be a sailor love in Van-Dimemet's daughter, Maria. According to official records, the governor's legal daughters did not have, but it could just be a relative, next to which a man did not want to see Tasman.
Probably, among the personal qualities of Abel was reasonable and mercy. During the next trip, the crew landed on the island, and the local resident released the arrow to the sailor. Natives, frightened white man's wrath, they themselves dragged the tribesman to the ship. But Tasman did not kill a man, judging that he was unlikely that he put an arrow on purpose.
Death
Abel Janzzon Tasman died on October 10, 1659 in Batavia, the cause of death is unknown.
By this point, the man became the richest inhabitant of the city. The inheritance, according to the will, was equally divided between the daughter and the second wife of the navigator, and 25 Guldenov moved the parish in the Luthegaste to help the poor.